Urban Forest
While driving down a huge 4 lane avenue in the cookiecutter residential area of Irivine, this massive wood framed apartment complex being constructed caught my attention. Here was all the wood I had seen recently on the back of those logging trucks in Oregon, that had come from all those clearcut forest lands.
Seeing the use of all that wood was so sad to me, as it is so apparent to me now after learning about alternative building materials, that it is so unnecessary for us to be using all that wood to build this apartment building. We could be using rammed earth, adobe, cob, straw bale, rocks, meadow grass board, recycled trash (tires, bottles, etc. etc.) called an Earthship house, etc. etc. etc.
posted by Ryan Mlynarczyk at 10:11 AM
3 Comments:
Yeah, but those methods are all still expensive because they're not "standard" yet. Just like electric cars (now called Hybrids)--they've been available for more than 50 years, but the're only now becoming affordable and popular, because only now are we in desperate need.
It's horrible that we have to reach that place before a change is made...
Yeah, I know that about the hybrids--I was writing faster than I was thinking. Thanks for the clarification.
Many of the alternative building styles (rammed earth, geodesic domes, etc.) are actually more earthquake safe than our American standards. I know I'd rather live in a Bucky Ball if the earth started moving around! Hahah!
Cassandra, I thought long and hard about what you said about how you want to opt for the accepted code because it is familiar. But I would remind you that fact and evidence (as lawyers love) is also a good thing to depend on.
Almost all eco-homes, especially, cob, straw bale, and rammed earth homes, are SAFER than the accepted building code homes when it comes to earthquakes. Look at cob homes in England. They have been standing for over 300 years, and have survived, fires, earthquakes (?), rainstorms, and I'm sure a host of other amazing phenomena.
And Aimee, I'm glad I didn't have to be the one to break the news to you that hybrid cars are different than electric cars.
Thanks for keeping this conversation alive and interesting...that's what this blog is for! I love it!! Hey, maybe someday I will post all these comments in the book I hope to publish of this photo project I am doing. ;)
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